Ever had to see a dr on board?

[jcfcruise]

DH came down with Pneumonia on our Infinity cruise (Nov '13). The doctor visit was $111. Plus xrays, other tests, IV meds, breathing treatments & oral meds. The total bill was a little over $1000. Which was put on our onboard account. We ask for a itemized statement to turn into travel insurance. We received a check for the full amount in about 3 weeks.

The treatment he received onboard was great. Both the doctor (Dr. Newball) & the nurses (Ana & Gunther) were very nice.

[Bailey & Sophie]

I sprained my ankle in Costa Rica on the zip line. I wasn't billed for the dr visit because it was a Celebrity-sponsored excursion.

[1cruiselvr]

They discovered that a bolt had not been fastened properly on the ladder, they soon refunded the charge and offered us complimentary dinner etc, worried we were going to sue?

Maybe they were trying to be nice and make up for the unfortunate incident which was clearly their fault?

Once on a HAL ship I developed a bad rash that drove me crazy. I should have packed some cortisone ointment but I didn't so I went to see the ship's dr. Our cabin neighbors scared me into thinking it might be shingles....eeek...anyway, dr. gave me an ointment that cleared it up in a few days, cost was around $125. I submitted the bill to my private medical insurance when we got home and they denied the claim at first, saying I should have seen a land dr. I got a good giggle out of that since we were on a 15 day RT Hawaii cruise and were in the middle of the block of sea days going there. I told the claim rep, I would have if I could have but we were in the middle of the ocean for 4 days. They approved my appeal. :)

Edited January 16, 2014 by 1cruiselvr

[shofer]

If you decide to submit to your travel insurance, you first have to submit it through your normal medical insurance before travel insurance will consider it. At least, that is how it worked for us.

 

And if you are over 65, you have to submit it to your supplemental insurance first and have it denied before you can submit to Medicare and have it denied by them. Then and only then can you submit it to your travel insurance for reimbursement.

 

I saw the doc for pink eye and my bill was $90, including meds. Once I started the process it took about 6 months to get my money. For less than $100, I don't think I would bother to go through this again.

 

Regarding Medicare, it will cover you if you are within 2 hours of a US port.

 

Sue

Edited January 16, 2014 by shofer

[phoenix_dream]

I have to disagree. I had a very sore thumb. just by the side of my nail was a swelling so I bit the bullet and went into the bowels of the ship to see the Dr. I had a 30+ minute wait. I then was asked my medical history by a male nurse. I at last saw the Dr who was very nice and he decided he would open the wound to release the .... well you know. Now as I had already been there quite some time and I am no wimp..... as he seemed to be sending for another nurse, who I knew had left at the end of morning surgery ( Dr seemed peeved she had gone and was going to have her sent for to come back as he wanted anaesthetic injection for me)

As I didnt want to stay any longer I told him if they had a freeze spray that would be fine. So I had some gel put on and he made 2 incisions with a scalpel and pressed on it to extract any pus. A plaster was put on it and I was free to go. it did the job..... as after that all went well.

As we had drinks etc package and I had pre-paid my tours I didn't bother with my onboard account until near the end of the cruise. when I checked it that visit to the Dr cost me $450 !!! I near died of shock. I didn't receive any medication just the Dr time. I had also waited a long while to see the Dr as quite a few crew were waiting to be seen.

I didn't make any claim on travel insurance - I did query at customer services as I did wonder whether they had charged me for anaesthetic injection which I didn't have.... but the breakdown I asked for didn't itemise anything. As I have pre existing medical conditions I didn't want to affect the price of future medical travel insurance.

So ...be warned......

 

When my dermatologists does a quick spray to freeze some small lesions I get on my skin it is considered surgery and often runs me into the hundreds of dollars. Same for when my son has an ingrown toe nail cut out. The actions of the doctors seemed very quick and minor, but the bills were anything but. Just saying this to put it in perspective - not saying it is right to be charged so much.

[MVPinBoynton]

 

Regarding Medicare, it will cover you if you are within 2 hours of a US port.

 

Sue

 

I was on a Baltic cruise, a long way from a US port, and Medicare covered all but $10.

[Honeybearhollow]

I had to see the ship Dr. on a Caribbean cruise, because I broke out in a rash all over my body. It was very painful little blisters and cortisone cream did not help. I was put on 4 days of prednisone and they charged me around $160. I did not try to collect from insurance, because I had heard that it would not be covered.

[surebeatssailing]

I am a registered nurse , now retired. I had a miserable respiratory illness that I self treated for 7 days before venturing down to the medical office on the ship. I was very impressed with the level of care that I received including blood work, antibiotics, twice daily nebulizer treatments. I was carefully observing the emergency equipment in the infirmary & happy to see that they are well prepared.

I submitted my bill [ around $400 total including the twice a day treatments] to my insurance co & it was paid after I met the deductible.

I carry numerous over the counter drugs to treat routine ailments but I am very comfortable that emergency care can be provided .

The $450 cost for the 2 small incisions that a previous poster referred to was very reasonable as this is a minor surgical procedure.

Celebrity meets or exceeds medical standards of care on their ships. If you seach online about this topic you will see much information about the qualifications of their medical staffs.

[CanWeGoYet?]

My son picked up a respiratory bug shortly after we boarded the cruise, and within a couple days his asthma flared and his meds were not working sufficiently.

 

I made sure we got to the infirmary sooner rather than later, because I know if we waited until his asthma attack looked bad likely they would have wanted him off the ship.

 

He got everything he would have had at our local ER. Exam, nebulizer, pack of prednisone and z-pack. They thought he would likely need to return for another neb treatment that cruise, but he improved so quickly he didn't need to. The doctor was from England, this was on the Carnival Liberty but I would think the medical facilities & charges would be similar across cruise lines.

 

It only cost around $200, which our travel insurance covered but with quite a bit of foot dragging even after I had got a denial from our primary insurance. Probably 10% of what an ER would bill. My only complaint - they billed even for the nurse setting up the nebulizer. She couldn't figure out how to put the thing together - it looked like she was having a mind puzzle. I finally stepped in and did it for her. I have heard so much about how the nurses need to have ICU and ER experience - any nurse here on a regular ward (I've been a RN for over 30 years) would have had experience setting up a neb.

[purrlinda]

If you decide to submit to your travel insurance, you first have to submit it through your normal medical insurance before travel insurance will consider it. At least, that is how it worked for us.

 

It depends on the travel insurance. The one I get is considered PRIMARY which means I do not have to submit it to my insurance, get declined, and then send it in. I always look for that.

[chief190]

last year on majesty of the seas I started to get a migraine in port and went back to the ship for meds and I took the meds I always carry with me. I took them and rested for a while they didn't work. soon I was throwing up and needed help. went to the doctor and they where terrific they gave me a shot for the nausea and for the headache and felt better in an hour. the charges where 250 dollars and we sent a request for payment from cruise care and they reimbursed full amount no cost to me. The medical staff was terrific and the cruise care paid the entire amount.:D

[monicajay]

There's an obvious theme in this thread: Make sure you have some sort of insurance.

[wedding96]

After taking my son to the clinic 3-4 x over the past 4 years (pushed into wall by other kid and needed 5 stitches to his scalp; ear infections; upper respiratory infection), I can tell you that the quality of care varied significantly. After last year's cruise I had some very serious concerns about the competence of the staff. The scene was chaotic and disorganized and potentially life-threatening to my son who was sedated with Ketamine (not really a recommended way to calm a kid down for stitches) which I found out later requires proper monitoring of his airway. The staff scrambled to put a pulse-ox and oxygen on him after he was already given the injection and the whole scene was horrifying. A week prior, the same doctor completely misdiagnosed a very obvious ear infection (pus was coming out of one ear).

[loosygoosy]

I am a registered nurse , now retired. I had a miserable respiratory illness that I self treated for 7 days before venturing down to the medical office on the ship. I was very impressed with the level of care that I received including blood work, antibiotics, twice daily nebulizer treatments. I was carefully observing the emergency equipment in the infirmary & happy to see that they are well prepared.

I submitted my bill [ around $400 total including the twice a day treatments] to my insurance co & it was paid after I met the deductible.

I carry numerous over the counter drugs to treat routine ailments but I am very comfortable that emergency care can be provided .

The $450 cost for the 2 small incisions that a previous poster referred to was very reasonable as this is a minor surgical procedure.

Celebrity meets or exceeds medical standards of care on their ships. If you seach online about this topic you will see much information about the qualifications of their medical staffs.

 

What can I say? Everyone has their own opinions about healthcare and related costs...but in the end, we just want someone to help us. My experience, especially with Celebrity, is firsthand and believe me they know what they are doing. My husband took extremely ill in the middle of the night on a cruise. I called down to medical and within minutes a stateroom attendant was there to take my husband to the see the doctor (in this instance, Dr. Newall on the Infinity). The staff worked feverishly to determine the cause of his suffering, took blood, X-rays, scans and a variety of other tests. They took immediate action to make him comfortable and once a diagnosis was established they prepared a plan of action in order to ensure he received the best possible treatment. Within a few short hours they altered the course of the ship, brought us into a port with a waiting ambulance and delivered us to wonderful clinic/ hospital where my husband had surgery. All the while we were accompanied by their Port agents 24/7 and someone from the ship was in constant contact with me over the next few days. Unfortunately, my husband did not survive but it was in no way due to anything that Celebrity, their medical staff or agents failed to do or provide. Upon returning home, I brought every record and document to our doctor who examined everything thoroughly. He told me that my husband had received faster and better care than he would even have received here at home. I was once told by a doctor on a ship that it is their job to get you back on your feet as fast as possible so that you can enjoy the rest of your cruise. Sometimes that means giving you a shot instead of a pill, etc. Accept the costs involved....and never travel without insurance. And, as an earlier post states, see your doctor before you go and I find that MOST are willing to provide you with a general antibiotic, etc. to treat a wide variety of bugs. As for the rest, be patient and don't sweat the small stuff...there is always someone worse off than you are.

[true45]

I had a door to the deck blow closed with the wind on the Century which caught my wrist. Saw a doctor quickly -- there was no charge, wrist not broken. I did have the Celebrity insurance (don't know if that is the reason)

 

I fell down a flight of stairs in the Carnival dining room. Saw only a nurse. Lots of blood -- this time had to go back to get wound rewrapped. Not happy with care but not charged. Also had cruise insurance.

[shofer]

I was on a Baltic cruise, a long way from a US port, and Medicare covered all but $10.

 

Really? I was given this info by someone at Medicare. Not that it mattered for me as it wasn't that costly and my insurance did reimburse me.

 

Sue

[lopar]

I spoke to a Nurse after hobbling in with a sprained ankle and she gave me a support bandage, ziplock bags for ice and some good advice all for free! The support bandage was a decent sports support type one and meant I could put my foot down, rather than half hop, and made all the difference. I went away very happy without a bill.

 

Denise

[ptrpanpens]

I had a door to the deck blow closed with the wind on the Century which caught my wrist. Saw a doctor quickly -- there was no charge, wrist not broken. I did have the Celebrity insurance (don't know if that is the reason)

 

I fell down a flight of stairs in the Carnival dining room. Saw only a nurse. Lots of blood -- this time had to go back to get wound rewrapped. Not happy with care but not charged. Also had cruise insurance.

 

If you are injured on the ship there is no charge. I was run over and knocked down by a tourist rushing to get her seat for muster drill last November on the Silhouette. I fell on my arm, which was swollen and I could not straighten it. The doctor was very thorough and took xrays to make sure it was not broken. They asked me alot of questions about the circumstances, etc. luckily the arm was only badly sprained so medication they provided helped within a few days.

 

Regular medicare would not have covered this but some medicare supplemental plans will so it is always good to get outside insurance.

 

Anne

[MVPinBoynton]

Really? I was given this info by someone at Medicare. Not that it mattered for me as it wasn't that costly and my insurance did reimburse me.

 

Sue

 

All Medicare plans are not the same. When I signed up for our Medicare Advantage PPO through AARP, foreign travel coverage was one of the criteria I made sure was included.

[true45]

Anne,

Being injured on the ship is not always a barrier to being charged. They wanted my information for my own insurance but I just wrote in that there was no charge for the service on the form before I signed my name.

[Big Chief]

I don't believe US Medicare will cover these claims:

 

The following is from the Medicare website....

 

Medicare Coverage Outside the United States

This fact sheet explains coverage under Original Medicare. Medicare coverage outside the United States is limited. In most situations, Medicare won’t pay for health care or supplies you get outside the United States (U.S.). The term “outside the U.S.” means anywhere other than the 50 states of the U.S., the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. This factsheet explains some of the exceptions that would allow you to get coverage outside the U.S. under Original Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and/or Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance).When does Medicare cover health care services in a foreign hospital? There are three situations when Medicare may pay for certain types of health care services you get in a foreign hospital (a hospital outside the U.S.): 1.You’re in the U.S. when you have a medical emergency, and the foreign hospital is closer than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat your illness or injury. 2.You’re traveling through Canada without unreasonable delay by the most direct route between Alaska and another state when a medical emergency occurs, and the Canadian hospital is closer than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat your illness or injury. Medicare determines what qualifies as “without unreasonable delay” on a case-by-case basis.3.You live in the U.S. and the foreign hospital is closer to your home than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat your medical condition, regardless of whether it’s an emergency. Remember, in these situations, Medicare will pay only for the Medicare-covered services you get in a foreign hospital. ★★★ CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES[/i][/i]

[MVPinBoynton]

Also from the Medicare website:

 

 

What if I get my health care from another Medicare

health plan rather than Original Medicare?

If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO) or another Medicare health plan, your plan may offer additional coverage for health care services you get outside the U.S. Check with your plan before traveling to see what’s covered.

 

My Medicare Advantage plan does cover medical expenses outside the US.

[LiseD]

Thankfully never seen a dr. on the ship....but IF they think you are contagious do they quarantine you to your room?

[welshgirl]

Our grandson had sickness ( with blood) so took him to doctor as only 4. $130 dollars later and was issues drinks that also made him sick. Told them we had calpol but said we needed what they gave us. Didn't claim off insurance due to excess.

[mypleasure]

I am finding this thread very interesting. I was on ship earlier this week and had cold which I was self treating. By Sunday I knew I was getting a respiratory problem. As we were to dock at Malaga Spain the following morning I chose to wait and seek attention on land. My thinking was that British visitors can get free treatment in Spain under a reciprocal agreement and I was concerned about costs and my insurance not paying up because of this.

This was a dreadful error of judgement on my part. We took a cab to a hospital which turned out to be private so were sent to a public hospital to get free assistance, I was given good and quick initial investigations and told I was to be admitted but if I had travel insurance they would transfer me to a private hospital to get better care. I was moved by ambulance on lights and sirens to a hospital almost outside the port gates. I am still there and expected to be so for another four days at least. I am being treated for pneumonia in both lungs and now realise that the ship doctor would have not treated me but just got me to hospital faster than I did myself. My travel insurance are meeting my hospital bills and will ensure I get back to the UK when I am well enough to go home. I am covering my sisters costs as neither of our insurance will pay for her to stay with me even though my condition was critical and I have been in ICU until now.

I have learned a huge lesson about delaying treatment even by as little as a few hours and trying to save on the bill.

 

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